Deep well pump



Jan. 1966 c. M. HAWORTH, JR., ETAL 3,227,086

DEEP WELL PUMP 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 6, 1964 INVENTORS. CHESTER M. HA WORTf-LJR.

HENRY D. FOWL/E ATTORNEY Jan. 4, 1966 c. HAWORTH, JR., ETAL 3, 7,085

DEEP WELL PUMP Filed April 6, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 F*-- 43 1 I- 3 INVENTORS.

HENRY D. FOWL/E BYWM ATTORNEY CHESTER M. 114 WORTH,JR.

United States Patent 3,227,686 DEEP WELL PUMP Chester M. Haworth, J12, 2309 W. Main St., Littleton, Colo., and Henry D. Fowiie, 3766 S. Mission Road, Fallbrook, Calif.

Filed Apr. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 357,555 10 Claims. (Cl. 10346) This invention relates to a positive displacement pump for pumping relatively deep wells.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a rapid, highly efficient, self-contained, electrically operated, immersion pumping unit which will provide trouble-free operation for long periods of time and which can be used singly in relatively shallow wells or installed as tandem units in deep wells so as to reduce the pump pressure in the individual tandem pumps by dividing the total well depth into a plurality of separate, simultaneously operating pumping sections.

Another object is to provide a self-contained, electrically operated pump which will eliminate all troublesome surface pumping equipment; which will operate efficiently regardless of the condition of the casings in the Wells; and which can be economically and efliciently controlled from a remote field station.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and eificiently. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a vertical, fragmentary section through a typical well showing the pump of this invention installed in tandem arrangement;

FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are enlarged, vertical, continuing, descending axial sections through the installation shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a cross section looking downwardly on the line 6--6; FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a similar cross section taken on the line 7-7, FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a similar cross section taken on the line 8-8, FIG. .4; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary, vertical broken-away view taken on the line 99, FIG. 3.

A conventional well casing is illustrated at 10 closed at the top by a cap plate 11 bolted or otherwise secured thereon. One or more of the pumping units of this invention may be suspended in the casing 10 through the medium of suitable tubing 12 secured to and sealed in the top plate 11.

i The pumping units are similar in construction and each comprises a cylindrical housing 13 closed at its top by a top bushing 14 carrying a pump discharge chamber 15 which communicates with the tubing 12 through a non return check valve 63. The housing 13 is closed at its bottom by means of an annular bushing 16 from which a pumping chamber 17 descends which, in turn, is closed at its lower extremity, by means of an annular bushing 18, which supports a pump cylinder 19 thereon. The upper extremity of the pump cylinder is closed by a sealing bushing 22 and the lower extremity of the pump cylinder is closed by a casing plugging element provided with a resilient cupped gasket 21, which acts to seal each individual pumping unit to the casing 10. Connecting tubing extends downwardly from the plugging element 20 and connects the above pump element housing to the next lowermost pumping unit, if any, positioned therebelow.

The actual pumping is done through the medium of a pump piston 23 mounted on the lower extremity of a tubular piston rod 24 which extends axially and vertically throughout the entire length of the pump housing 13 terminating in the discharge chamber 15. As the piston rod 24 descends, the piston 23 is forced downwardly to cause fluid to flow, past a piston check valve 26, into the piston rod 24 and, through piston ports 27, into the upper portions of the pump cylinder 19. As the piston rod rises, the check valve 26 Will close and fluid will be forced from the upper portion of the pump cylinder into the piston rod so that the flow through the latter is double acting. Fluid enters the pump cylinder from the well, or from another pump positioned below, through the connecting tubing 25 and a check valve 28. Fluid also enters the pump cylinder from the casing above the plugging element 29 and gasket 21 through ports 29. A back flow check valve 26b is set into a packer 26a at the base of the cylinder 19 above the side ports 29 whereby to prevent return of flow from the cylinder as the piston 23 completes its upstroke and enters its downstroke cycle as hereafter explained.

The piston is vertically reciprocated through the medium of a tubular actuating screw 30 which is connected to the piston rod 24 through the medium of an adapter 31 containing a thrust bearing 32. The actuating screw 33 is threaded into a cylinderical actuating nut ele ment 33 through the medium of rolling balls 34which travel in thread grooves 35 in both the screw 30 and the nut element 33 to provide an anti-friction threaded connection between the screw 30 and the nut element 33. Axial movement of the nut element is prevented by ball thrust bearings 36 mounted in the housing 13. A ball return chute 70 is located in the nut element in order to assure a continuous operation.

It can be seen, that, if the nut element 33 be held stationary and the screw 30 be rotated in one direction, the screw will travel upwardly to lift the piston 23 and, if the screw be held stationary and the nut element 33 be ro-.

tated in the same direction, the screw will travel downwardly to depress the piston. Thus, the entire pumping action is accomplished by continuously alternating the rotation between the screw 30 and the nut element 33.

This continuous varying of relative rotation between the screw 30 and the nut element 33 is accomplished through the medium of an upper spur type, planetary transmission and a lower, bevel type, planetary transplanet shaft 42, rotatably surrounding the motor shaft 38,

and a lower tubular planet shaft 43 which extends downwardly through the actuating screw 30 and is splined thereon on spline balls 44 to permit reciprocation of the rod 24 within the shaft 43 and the motor shaft 38.

The upper tubular planet shaft 42 terminates in an upper clutch drum 45 to which one extremity of a first helical clutch spring 46 is fixedly connected so as to rotate therewith. The other extremity of the first helical spring projects radially outward as indicated at 47.

The planet gears 41 are in constant mesh with internal teeth 48 of the orbit gear of an elongated. tubular ring gear member 49 mounted on bearing balls 50. The upper extremity of the ring gear member 49 terminates in a lower clutch drum 51 to which one extremity of a second helical clutch spring 52 is fixedly connected so as to rotate therewith. The other extremity of the second clutch spring 52 projects radially outward as shown at 53.

The lower extremity of the ring gear member 49 terminates in an annular toothed bevel gear member 54 which rides upon and meshes with direction-reversing bevelled planetary pinions 55 which are rotatably mounted on radially disposed bevel pinion shaft 65 carr'ied on a circular base 65a which fixes their position with respect to the housing 13. The planetary pinions 55, in turn, rest upon and mesh with annular bevel gear teeth 56 cut in the upper extremity of the nut element 33.

It can be seen that orbital rotation of the planet gear pinions 41 and simultaneous rotation of the actuating screw 30 can be resiliently stopped by placing an obstruction in the path of the projecting extremity 47 of the first helical spring 46. It can be seen that rotation of the ring gear member 49 and simultaneous rotation of the nut element 33 can be resiliently stopped by placing an obstruction in the path of the projecting extremity 53 of the second helical clutch spring 52.

As illustrated, the helical clutch springs are alternately obstructed through the medium of a vertically elongated slide rod 57 slidably positioned in a vertical guideway 68 in an internal lining sleeve 63 positioned within the housing 13 about the two helical springs 46 and 52. The slide rod 57 extends in a continuation of the vertical guideway 68 from a position at one side of the two helical clutch springs to a position above the motor 39. The lower extremity of the rod 57 is provided with an upper inclined stop lug 58 which, when the rod is shifted upwardly, assumes a position in the path of the projecting extremity 47 of the upper clutch spring 46, and a lower inclined stop lug 59 which, when the rod is shifted downwardly, assumes a position in the path of the projecting extremity 53 of the second helical spring 52. The vertical shifting of the slide rod is accomplished in any desired manner. As illustrated, the rod is shifted through the medium of a resilient shifting arm 60 which is afiixed to and projects from the piston rod 24 above the motor 39. The piston rod, of course, moves vertically in correspondence with the pump piston 23 and the shifting arm 60 is so positioned that, as the piston approaches its upper limit of travel, the arm will contact an upper lug 61 on the rod 57 to move the latter upwardly to stop rotation of the first helical spring and, as the piston approaches its lower limit of travel, the arm 60 will contact a lower lug 62 on the rod 57 to urge the latter downwardly to resiliently stop rotation of the second helical clutch spring 52.

Operation Let us assume that the motor is operating and that the lower lug 59 of the slide rod 57 is holding the lower clutch spring 52 stationary to lock the ring gear member 49, the bevel pinions 55, and the nut element 33 against movement. The sun pinion 37 is rotating and causing the planet gears 41 to travel around the teeth 48 on the stationary ring gear member 49 so as to rotate the lower planet shaft 43 and the screw 30 in the same direction and at reduced speed of the motor shaft. This causes the pump piston to travel upwardly to discharge fluid into the piston rod and to draw fluid into the pump cylinder.

As the piston approaches its upward limit of travel, the shifting arm 60 will contact the upper lug 61 and lift the slide rod to raise the lower stop lug 59 and release the lower clutch spring 52. Simultaneously, the upper stop lug 58 will move and resiliently stop the upper spring 46. This stops the orbital rotation of the planet gears 41 and stops rotation of the screw 30 and causes the planet gears 41 to rotate the ring gear member 49 in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the motor. The bevel gear member 54, the bevel pinions 55 and the teeth 56 on the nut element 33,. however, act to reverse the rotation and cause the nut element 33 to rotate in the same direction as the motor. Rotation of the nut element about the stationary actuating screw 30 causes the latter to thread downwardly in the nut element so as to force the piston 23 downwardly to force fluid upwardly in the piston rod and in the pump cylinder. This faster downstroke, with the unit doing no actual hydraulic lifting of water, increases the natural efficiency of the pump.

In order to temporarily retain the vertical slide rod in either its raised or lowered position, friction holding means of some type must be provided. As illustrated, the rod is indented as indicated at 66 and a spring pressed detent 67 is positioned to successively engage the indentations to resist accidental movement of the slide rod.

Thus, the pump piston constantly reciprocates up and down while the motor continues uniformly in the same direction without the use of cranks, cams, connecting rods, etc. The piston rod is efficiently sealed above and below all operating elements and is, of course, sealed throughout its length to prevent fluid and pressure from reaching any of the rotating or operating elements.

Only two of the pumping elements have been shown in tandem in FIGURE 1. It is to be understood that only one or any desired number may be used with the electric conductors 40 continuing to all of the motors. It is preferred to use sufiicient pumps in any one installation to prevent the pump pressure on any one pump from exceeding 1000 p.s.i. It is to be noted that none of the units described need work in perfect unison but that, by use of the casing seals 21 and ports 29, the casing section about each pump may act as a surge chamber to accommodate for variations in the pumping flow between the two pumps in tandem.

While a specific form of the invention has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A deep well submersible pump carried within a cylindrical housing and adapted to be secured to the base of a tubing string and inserted into a well to submergence of at least the bottom portion thereof, and comprising:

(a) a central passageway through the housing formed by a pump cylinder at the base of the housing, a cylindrical discharge chamber at the top of the housing connecting with said tubing string and a tubular piston rod extending through the housing and into the cylinder and chamber;

(b) a sealing bushing at the top of the pump cylinder and at the base of the discharge chamber adapted to seal off the housing interior portion through which the piston rod extends;

(c) a piston within the cylinder connecting with the piston rod;

(d) foot valve means and check valve means at the base of the cylinder and passageways in the piston and piston rod adapted to move fluid upwardly through the piston rod responsive to reciprocation of the piston and piston rod; and

(e) mechanical driving means within the sealed-off housing interior continuously connected with the piston rod passing therethrough, adapted to reciprocate the rod.

2. In the organization set forth in claim 1, a second pump arranged in tandem with the first, one above the other, with the discharge chamber cylinder of the lower pump connecting with the pump cylinder of the upper pump.

, 3. In the organization set forth in claim 2, including a connecting tubing and seal means at the juncture of the two pumps adapted to block olf the tubing string, a check valve in the discharge chamber of the lower pump and a passageway through the wall of the connecting tubing above the seal means and check valve and below the foot valve means of the upper pump, whereby to use the tubing string above the seal means as a secondary reservoir to supply the upper pump intake.

4. In the organization set forth in claim 1, wherein said driving means includes a screw shaft connected to the piston rod, a nut element engaging the screw shaft and being connected to the housing, and means adapted to rotate one with respect to the other.

5. In the organization set forth in claim 1, wherein said driving means includes:

(a) a first thrust bearing means secured to the piston rod Within the housing interior;

(b) a second thrust bearing means securedto the housing interior;

(c) a screw shaft embracing the piston rod, connected to the first said thrust bearing means and having thread means at its outer wall;

(d) a nut element connected to the second said thrust bearing means and having thread means at its inner wall meshing with the thread means of the shaft;

(e) means adapted to rotate said nut and shaft in alternating sequence, whereby to raise the shaft and piston rod connected thereto when one element is rotating and to lower the shaft and piston rod when the other element is rotating; and

(f) shifting means associated with the piston rod adapted to shift the rotation from one element to the other when the rod moves to the upper and lower limits of its travel.

6. In the organization defined in claim wherein said thread means includes spiral channels in the screw shaft and nut and a plurality of balls adapted to ride in the channels.

7. In the organization set forth in claim 1 wherein said driving means includes:

(a) a first thrust bearing means secured to the piston rod within the housing interior;

(b) a second thrust bearing means secured to the housing interior;

(0) a screw shaft embracing the piston rod, connected to the first said thrust bearing means and having thread means at its outer Wall;

((1) a nut element connected to the second said thrust bearing means and having thread means at its inner wall meshing with the thread means of the shaft;

(e) a drive motor having its armature mounted upon a tubular shaft which is telescopically and rot-atably carried upon the piston rod;

(f) a sun gear mounted upon the shaft;

(g) a set of planet gears in mesh with the sun gear and being connected with said screw shaft;

(h) an orbit gear embracing the set of planet gears and being connected with said nut element;

(i) a clutch means adapted to stationarily lock the orbit gear and the set of planet gears in alternating sequence when the sun gear is rotating, whereby, with the orbit gear being locked, rotation of the planet gear set rotates the screw shaft to longitudinally shift the nut element and move the piston in one direction, and with the planet gear set being locked, rotation of the orbit gear rotates the nut element to move the screw shaft and piston in the opposite direction; and

(j) clutch shifting means associated with the piston rod and being adapted to shift the clutch means from the planet gear set to the orbit gear whenever the piston rod moves to upper and lower limits of its travel.

8. In the organization defined in claim 6, including a first clutch head associated with the planet gear set and a second clutch head associated with the orbit gear, said clutch shifting means including:

(a) a stop on each clutch head;

(b) a shiftable stop lug interposed between the stops;

(c) a slide rod extending from the stop lug having opposing abutments thereon; and

(d) an arm on the piston rod adapted to normally lie between said rod abutments and being adapted to engage an abutment at one extremity of the piston rods movement in one direction to slide said rod with the stop lug being thereby shifted to engage a stop of a first clutch head and prevent its rotation and the arm is further adapted to engage an abutment at the other extremity of movement of the piston in the other direction to slide the rod with the stop lug being thereby shifted to release the stop of the first clutch head and engage-the stop of the other clutch head whereby to prevent rotation of that clutch head. I

9. In a deep well, piston driven pump, having a hous ing secured to the bottom of a tubing string and being adapted to be lowered into a well to submergence of at least the bottom portion of the housing comprising:

, (a) a pump cylinder unit at the base of the housing having a foot valve means on the cylinder, a piston, a check valve means in the piston and a tubular piston rod extending thereabove with an intake at the piston, whereby reciprocal movement of the piston within the cylinder pumps fluid upwardly through the" piston rod;

(b) a" sealed chamber section above the cylinder through which the piston rod extends;

(c) a first thrust bearing means secured to the piston rod within the housing interior and thread means embracing the piston rod and being connected to the first thrust bearing means;

(d) a second thrust bearing means secured to the housing interior and a nut element connected to the second said thrust bearing means and having thread means at its inner wall meshing with the thread means of the rod;

(e) asun gear mounted about the piston rod and means adapted to continuously rot-ate said gear; (f) a planet gear set embracing the sun gear and being affixed to the thread means embracing the piston rod;

(g) an orbit gear embracing the planet gear set;

(h) a reversing gear means being connected with the orbit gear and the said nut element;

(i) a clutch means adapted to stationarily lock the orbit gear and the set of planet gears in alternating sequence when the sun gear is rotating, whereby, with the orbit gear being locked, rotation of the planet gear set rotates the piston rod to longitudinally shift the nut element and move the piston in one direction, and with the planet gear set being locked, rotation of the orbit gear rotates the nut element to move the piston rod and piston in the opposite direction; and

(j) cluch shifting means associated with the piston rod and being adapted to shift the clutch means from the planet gear set to the orbit gear whenever the piston rod moves to the upper and lower limits of its travel.

10. In a deep well, piston driven pump, having a housing secured to the bottom of a tubing string and being adapted to be lowered into a well to submergence of at least the bottom portion of the housing comprising:

(a) a pump cylinder unit at the base of the housing having a foot valve means on the cylinder; a piston, a check valve means in the piston and a tubular piston rod extending thereabove with an intake at the piston, whereby reciprocal movement of the piston within the cylinder pumps fluid upwardly through the piston rod;

(b) a sealed chamber section above the cylinder through which the piston rod extends;

(c) a first thrust bearing means secured to the piston rod within the housing interior and thread means embracing the piston rod and being connected to the first thrust bearing means;

(d) -a second thrust bearing means secured to the housing interior and a nut element connected to the second said thrust bearing means and having thread means at its inner wall meshing with the thread means embracing said piston rod;

(e) a motor drive means, adapted for continuous rotation;

(f) a clutching means adapted to inter-engage the drive means with the piston rod and with the nut element in alternating sequence responsive to a shifting means; and

(g) a shifting means associated with the piston rod adapted to shift the clutching means from the ele- 8". ment to the other, that is, the piston rod and nut element, when the rod moves to its upper and lower limits of travel.

References Cited by the Examiner MARK NEWMAN, Primary Examiner.

WARREN E. COLEMAN, Examiner. 

1. A DEEP WELL SUBMERSIBLE PUMP CARRIED WITHIN A CYLINDRICAL HOUSING AND ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO THE BASE OF A TUBING STRING AND INSERTED INTO A WELL TO SUBMERGENCE OF AT LEAST THE BOTTOM PORTION THEREOF, AND COMPRISING: (A) A CENTRAL PASSAGEWAY THROUGH THE HOUSING FORMED BY A PUMP CYLINDER AT THE BASE OF THE HOUSING, A CYLINDRICAL DISCHARGE CHAMBER AT THE TOP OF THE HOUSING CONNECTING WITH SIAD TUBING STRING AND A TUBULAR PISTON ROD EXTENDING THROUGH THE HOUSING AND INTO THE CYLINDER AND CHAMBER; (B) A SEALING BUSHING AT THE TOP OF THE PUMP CYLINDER AND AT THE BASE OF THE DISCHARGE CHAMBER ADAPTED TO SEAL OFF THE HOUSING INTERIOR PORTION THROUGH WHICH THE PISTON ROD EXTEND; (C) A PISTON WITHIN THE CYLINDER CONNECTING WITH THE PISTON ROD; (D) FOOT VALVE MEANS AND CHECK VALVE MEANS AT THE BASE OF THE CYLINDER AND PASSAGEWAYS IN THE PISTON AND PISTON ROD ADAPTED TO MOVE FLUID UPWARDLY THROUGH THE PISTON ROD RESPONSIVE TO RECIPROCATION OF THE PISTON AND PISTON ROD; AND (E) MECHANICAL DRIVING MEANS WITHIN THE SEALED-OFF HOUSING INTERIOR CONTINUOUSLY CONNECTED WITH THE PISTON ROD PASSING THERETHROUGH, ADAPTED TO RECIPROCATE THE ROD. 